Harmon, William, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1851 on Genesee Street in Lima, New York, this one and one-half story cottage was designed and built by William Harmon as his own home. Harmon, an English-born master builder, came to Lima to construct Genesee College Hall and remained the village's most prominent builder until he died in 1866. The house has a cruciform plan, board-and-batten siding and a steeply pitched cross-gable roof. Its decoration includes scrolled vergeboards with trefoils and quatrefoils, Tudor-style hood moldings, bracketed porches with quatrefoil friezes, and a flying staircase inside. The setting on a wooded bluff follows the picturesque ideals of A.J. Downing. Board-and-batten Gothic Revival cottages are rare in western New York, and this one keeps a high degree of integrity in design, materials and craftsmanship. Alterations have been slight: a raised woodshed roof, an extended verandah roof and removed porch doors. The house was listed for its architectural importance at the local level.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be an outstanding and remarkably intact example of a board-and-batten Gothic Revival cottage, a rarity in western New York. It reflects the picturesque Romantic tradition popularized by A.J. Downing. It is also tied to Harmon, Lima's most prominent master builder until his death in 1866.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 89001130, listed August 31, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1847 Genesee St., Lima |
|---|---|
| County | Livingston County |
| Listed | August 31, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001130 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1851 |
| Architect / builder | William Harmon, master builder |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a private residence, as originally; condition listed as good, with no known threats. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.90690, -77.61365 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89001130.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14707781
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.